Friday, May 11, 2012

PANDEMONIUM QUILT TUTORIAL #1 - Basic Applique

             PANDEMONIUM QUILT TUTORIAL # 1 - Basic Applique.

Hello Everyone,

Having consulted Janet Treen ( thanks Janet!) as to how to do this tutorial with multiple photos, I thought I'd start with a basic applique and then go on to the different applique blocks in the Pandemonium Quilt and after, go on to the pieced blocks. ( if anyone has a suggestion as how I should tackle this, please let me know)  I'll proceed with the way I usually approach my applique.

After you've opened up your applique sheets, cut up the big sheets into the blocks, it is probably easier to handle. Number the applique motifs in the block from #1 to whatever, however, instead of numbering the different parts of the shape as #1,#2,#3 etc, use #1/1, # 1/2, # 1/3 and so on.
Do same for the freezer paper templates,this way, when you cut up the different bits, it will be easier to find, see photo of the freezer paper diagram below: 

I would also put those slash marks as in the photo, you'll see later why I would do this.

And when you cut up the shape, don't cut right through, leave a tiny bit of paper hanging, see photo below. I use a craft knife to cut my freezer paper templates.

I usually do this as I cut out all my freezer paper templates in the one go and store them in a zip lock bag till I'm ready to do the fabric cutting. Leaving the bird above as a unit will make it easier to find. 

Having chosen your background fabric, transfer the design onto the fabric. Use a light box, and if you don't have a light box but have a glass top coffee table, put a lamp under the glass top. Failing this, go the the picture framing store and purchase a glass sheet, cover edges with masking tape, place the glass sheet on 2 stacks of telephone books and slide a lamp under the glass.

On the background fabric, I also write the numbering ( the same ones as on the paper sheet). It is going to be covered up with the applique fabric anyway and it is going to make it easier for you to find the matching freezer paper templates.

Having done this, we come to the fun part, choosing the fabrics and cutting up the pieces. ( I love this part, scissors clippping away) 

Now, you can dismember the bird template and iron them onto the right side of the print fabric.





I don't know if you've ever tried this pen, it is called " Frixion" and on it it says " remove by friction"



I've used this pen to mark around the shapes. It is rather effective and when ironed, the black marks disappear. It also comes in various colours. Perhaps it is best to do a test for yourself, just in case it damages the fabric. 
Better safe than sorry. Otherwise, use a 2B pencil. 

Notice that I've extended the slash markings onto the fabric, I'll be using these to position the different parts of the bird.


Like in the next photos,



I also baste the pieces with a running stitch close to the seam line. Or, you can use the Roxanne Glue with the needle like tip. 

Now, you are ready to needle turn applique, it is really easy.
Trim the seam allowance to about 1/8", but in a big piece like the coral tree, only trim about an inch or so at a time, or the fabric will start to fray.

Use a small needle, number 12 or 10, I usually use the silk threads or the Aurifill thread. 

Just in case you've noticed, I'm a left handed person ! so may be you'll need a mirror to see the mirror image. Sorry - but I can't applique with my right hand. I think this is probably why I get lost when I'm driving.
  

When you get to a point, do a double stitch, then stuff the fabric in, press it with your finger and stitch down, easy peasey.



You now have all the parts of the motif that need to go under the body done. Trim the seam alllowance a little bit.

Using those slash marks as guides, position the body of the bird.



And baste or glue the body close to the seam line.
 

Applique, 

When you get to the tip of the beak, stitch down twice,
 

And again push in the fabric, press with your finger and continue applique. 
It's not hard is it?
 

The concave curve - there are a lot of these in my patterns. Fear not. It is really a cinch.

Clip the concave curve and just sweep the seam allowance in with your needle, press with your finger and applique away. That was simple ...
 

Concave curves must result in convex ones as in the tail end of the bird. Push the fabric in small bits at a time, press with finger and sew - repeat this till you have all the bumpy bit sewn up. If you try to push the whole bump in the one go, you'll probably end up with a lot of fraying, with me anyway!


Voila, the bird is done! Easy isn't it ?


Righto ( that's Oz speak for OK) - this ends the first tutorial. I hope you manage to get something out of these ramblings! Let me know if you would like me to cover other aspects of the applique basic. If I know how to do it, I'll certainly try and show you.
I've tried all sorts of methods when I first started doing applique, I still find the needleturn as described above the simplest.
Please, if you have other methods, do a post and we can all learn something.

If you want to do a post, please email Janet Treen, see the column on the right side, you can join in as a contributor and post your photos or tips.

Next time, I'll start on the Pandemonium applique  blocks. I'll try and explain how I go about choosing fabrics for the block and what aspects of the block to watch out for. Cheers,  Kim McLean

36 comments:

  1. I'm happy to help anytime time you want to do a great post Kim.
    This is really wonderful information, I've picked up two great tips already. I like your idea for keeping the paper units together until needed and I'm going to use slash marks from now on. Thanks bunches.

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    1. Glad you found something that is useful Janet! Many many thanks for helping me do this post, I certainly couldn't do it without your direction at the other end of the telephone, I hope I won't have to chain you again like yesterday. K

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  2. That was fun, Kim! I bet there will be a run on that Frixion pen all over the world today! Shopkeepers, get ready. I'm going to cut out the big animal blocks in Pandemonium today; they will be the center of a baby quilt. Thanks for all the help. I know how time-consuming it is.

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    1. Love to see the baby quilt Leland, lucky baby!

      Have to be careful ordering the Frixion pen, it has to be the one that says removable by friction. I went and bought another set of Frxion and the pen marks didn't come out. So now I have a colouring pen set that is not suitable for sewing!

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  3. Thanks for all the great information. I never thought about using slash marks before. It's so nice of you to share your knowledge with us.

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    1. Thank you Nancy, I'm glad you've picked up something! I only do classes very rarely now, so it's rather nice to be able to share stuff on the Internet. K

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  4. Thanks, Kim. It's always interesting to see someone's applique method. You make it look so easy.

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    1. Hi Marion,
      It is easy to do needle turn appliqué! It is probably easier if one can see someone actually doing it.
      Watching YouTube is great, I learnt how to knit socks using this media. Hope to see your blocks soon! K

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  5. Joy,joy, a left handed quilter! So nice to see someone going clockwise. Thanks for
    Doing this Kim. I love, and have, most of your published patterns. Hope
    You have many more to come.

    June

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    1. Yay! Another leftie! Thank you for your support, love to see your blocks or quilt . I have started on another quilt but it has a very very long way to go yet. I do love making quilts, the cheerful fabrics are lovely to work with. K

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  6. Great tutorial Kim, although I'm not making Pandemonium (yet) there are some good tips there, the slash marks is a good one. I'm right handed, but sometimes I will sew clockwise (with my right hand). Taping the pattern and fabric to a window is also an alternative if you don't have a light box.

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    1. Great Pip, I've been doing that slash marking forever, a left over from making clothes during my 20's! K

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  7. Great tutorial Kim, thank you so much for sharing your quilting knowledge with all of us. I have never heard of that pen, definitely going to look that up.

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    1. Might be a good idea to do some testing first Rosemary, looked it up in Google today and saw some adverse findings. This is the first time I've actually used it. Might put that piece of appliqué in the mashing machine and see what happens. K

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  8. Thank you KIm for the tutorial! I picked up some tips that will be useful in my future.
    One thought about the friction pens though : if, after removing the pen marks, you put your fabric in, let's say, the freezer, the marks will be back. Oké, who puts fabric in the freezer you say? That just means the chemicals are not removed, and you don't know how it will behave in the future. So, personally, I don't use them. I don't use the blue water soluble markers anymore either, because on a couple of old, machine rinsed quilts, the marks, that had disappeared, came back over the years as yellow lines.

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    1. I read that too today, perhaps everyone better do a bit of testing before using the Frixion!
      Use a 2B pencil - probably saver? K

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    2. I am a big fan of the Bohin mechanical chalk pencil. It makes a nice fine line and just disappears over time.

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    3. That is the one that comes in whites and several other colours Liza? Where would you buy a sharpener for that one? I was using those when I did my quilting and it got very blunt! It did the job though. You use it for appliqué as well? K

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    4. A tip I learned from Barbara Chainey just last week : simply use color pencils that you can do aquarel with, they are watersoluble. And they hardly rub off. In western Europe we know the brand Caran d'Ache for example

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    5. Kim, The Bohin chalk pencil is a mechanical pencil so it doesnt need sharpening. You just click the "lead" out as in a normal mechanical pencil. We sell it at gloriouscolor.com It comes with white leads but you can buy other colors, too. I think Fons and Porter have a similar pencil.

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    6. Regarding that Frixion pen, I used it to mark a long stem line on a batik fabric, and after ironing it, it left a white line. Tried washing it and everything, but it would not come out, so I do not recommend this pen at all. Maybe it was just because it was a batik, but I wasn't happy with the outcome, so I went back to using the Fons and Porter chalk pencil or just a light lead pencil.
      Kathy Webb

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    7. I too have used the Frixion pen, marked my fabric, ironed the marks off, washed my fabric and the marks are still there. I know we don't put our quilts in freezer but if you live in a cold climate or ship a quilt to a cold climate the marks do come back. I threw all of my pens in the trash!!!!!

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  9. My computer is having a fit, so maybe this comes twice, but just last week I had this tip from Barbara Chainey : just use color pencilsn the kind you can do aquarel painting with, since they are watersoluble. In Europe we know the brand Caran d'Ache for instance.

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  10. Thanks Kim for a wonderful tutorial

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  11. Hi,
    I just recently found your blog and I'm trying to catch up on all the wonderful photos and comments. Thank you Kim for all your incredible designs.
    I finished Flower Pots last year and I'm about to begin the very last border of Flower Basket Medallion plus working on a second one for a charity auction (2013 if finished!) with friends from all our left over leaves! : )
    I will attempt Pandemonium with the Freezer paper template + Best Press method. I may simplify those "coral" looking trees slightly to make it easier on myself.
    I do not like marking fabric with anything other than chalk that brushes off. It is why I like the 3 layer Freezer Paper/Best Press method. It takes a little more time to prepare each shape, but once it is on the background I can sew it down much faster than most of my Needle turn friends. Perfect edges, and circles are a breeze!
    Frixion pen - Important Information - The ink "disappears" with heat but it shows up again at 14F/10C degrees! So if you live in a "cold" country or state..... be careful.
    http://pilotgelpen.blogspot.com/2011/12/low-price-pilot-frixion-ball-knock.html
    Looking forward to tons of useful information on this blog. : )

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    1. Hi Silvy,
      I don't know your appliqué method, what do you do? I'm intriqued, love to hear about the process, Kim

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    2. Hi Kim,
      I learnt from my friend Anita in May 2011. She learnt in California 8 years ago and has made tons of wonderful and perfectly shaped applique quilts. She and I now teach this method at our LQS, 70 ladies in 6 months so far. Here is what we do: Dry iron 3 sheets of freezer paper, one at a time with the waxy side down on the table. This is because the paper shrinks slightly. If you don;t do this step, the 3 layered template will have bubbles and be difficult to use later.
      Trace the shape onto the waxy side of sheet 1 with a thin dark Sharpie pen.
      Layer all three sheets, one at a time. Sheet 1 always on top and always with the waxy side down. This gives you a stiff template with a matt top side where you can still see the Sharpie lines and bottom side with wax. Cut out the shape as smoothly as possible, using an emery board to sand any imperfections.
      Iron the template to the back of your fabric and cut around it with a 1/4" seam allowance. Brush Best Press liquid on the seam allowance.
      Best Press is the only "starch" on the market that does not attract bugs, thus is (allegedly) safe to leave in your fabric. For Right handed people: With a small travel iron with a sharp point in your left hand and a stiletto in your right hand, pull the seam allowance over the template edge with the stiletto whilst ironing it down as you move slowly along. Use tiny tiny comma strokes right in front of the iron's tip. When you've turned all the edges over, apart from those going under another piece, you rip out the template. Fast is better than slow. Any distortion is back in place with a little tap with your finger. Give it an extra little press with the iron. The shape is ready to be basted onto the background with tiny drops of Roxanne Basting Glue on the seam allowance. I use a lightbox with the pattern paer on top and a plastic sheet to protect the pattern and the background fabric centered on top. You can see through the fabric where the shapes should be placed. Make and baste all the shapes for your block at once and you can take it with you anywhere to stitch it down with no pins and no turning to do. The sewing part is super quick at this point. This method gives me the needle turn applique look with perfect edges, curves and circles.
      Does anyone else use this method?
      I worry about Pandemonium's incredible "fingery" coral looking trees. For those, the needle turn may be a better method, but I'm useless at it and gave that up many years ago. Since I learnt this method a year ago, I have made Flower Pots, am nearly done with Flower Basket Medallion, am half way with NOEL by Verna Mosquera and I've ordered Pandemonium. I am totally hooked. I've been collecting and piecing with Kaffe Fassett & Friends fabrics for over 10 years but only appliqued with them for 1 year! Keep those incredible designs coming, Kim! LOL

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    3. Thank you Sylvi! I'll save this idea in my hard drive. I'll try it out, always keen to sample new techniques. I can see the coral tree is going to be a bit of a problem, try the needleturn for this one, you might get to like it! K

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    4. this applique technique is VERY similar the the Amidone applique.....I learned from Amidone in Denver at the quilt show several years ago!

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    5. Sylvi, thank you for your advice, but there is something I don't get. If you dry iron 3 sheets of freezer paper, shiny side down, how can you avoid the lower sheet does not stick to the board. thanks

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  12. I too needleturn and find it is the fastest for me. How nice to see another lefthanded sewer. I love the frixion pen for marking around the applique, since I am turning these lines under they should be seen anyway even if they do reappear later.

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  13. Yay, another leftie! Do you also use those left handed scissors? Kim

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  14. Congratulations Kim - a great tutorial - glad to see you have ventured into "online classrooms" - remember how we had a conversation several years ago on this very topic. It will be a great help to all your "long distance" fans. Only thing missing is your smiling face. Good luck.

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    1. Thanks Jaybee, I'm actually learning stuff too - which is good! K

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  15. Fantastic tutorials, thank you so much for sharing this with all of us.

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